Gilbert West
Encyclopedia
Gilbert West was a minor English poet, translator and Christian apologist in the early and middle eighteenth century. Samuel Johnson
included him in his Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets
.
, Eton
and Christ Church, Oxford
; his father intended a career in the Church for him.
However, he was persuaded by his uncle, Lord Cobham to take a commission in the army but soon left to work under Lord Townshend
, a prominent Whig
. West left this position when it became clear that he had no prospect of advancement in such a career.
West married a Miss Bartlett with whom he lived in Wickham in Kent
and was appointed Treasurer of Chelsea Hospital which provided him a modest income. During this period, following dialogue with George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton
he published the essay Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1747) for which Oxford University awarded him an LLD
. In 1749 West published his translations of the odes of Pindar
; his translation of Pindar remained the standard version throughout the following century. Only late in his life did West achieve a measure of financial success when he was appointed to a clerkship of the Privy Council
in 1752. He died four years later.
Note: Some publication dates are posthumous.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
included him in his Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets
Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets
Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets was a work by Samuel Johnson, comprising short biographies and critical appraisals of 52 poets, most of whom lived during the eighteenth century...
.
Biography
The son of a minister, West was educated at WinchesterWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
; his father intended a career in the Church for him.
However, he was persuaded by his uncle, Lord Cobham to take a commission in the army but soon left to work under Lord Townshend
Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend
Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend Bt, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman. He served for a decade as Secretary of State, directing British foreign policy...
, a prominent Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
. West left this position when it became clear that he had no prospect of advancement in such a career.
West married a Miss Bartlett with whom he lived in Wickham in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and was appointed Treasurer of Chelsea Hospital which provided him a modest income. During this period, following dialogue with George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton
George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton
George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton PC , known as Sir George Lyttelton, Bt between 1751 and 1756, was a British politician and statesman and a patron of the arts.-Background and education:...
he published the essay Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1747) for which Oxford University awarded him an LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
. In 1749 West published his translations of the odes of Pindar
Pindar
Pindar , was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian described him as "by far the greatest of the nine lyric poets, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich...
; his translation of Pindar remained the standard version throughout the following century. Only late in his life did West achieve a measure of financial success when he was appointed to a clerkship of the Privy Council
Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)
The Clerk of the Privy Council is a civil servant in the government of the United Kingdom. He or she is the most senior civil servant in the Privy Council Office....
in 1752. He died four years later.
Works
- Stowe, the gardens of the Right Honourable Richard, Lord Viscount Cobham (1732)
- A canto of the Fairy QueenThe Faerie QueeneThe Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
. Written by SpenserEdmund SpenserEdmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
(1739) - The institution of the order of the garter. A dramatick poem (1742)
- Observations on the history and evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1747)
- The odes of PindarPindarPindar , was an Ancient Greek lyric poet. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian described him as "by far the greatest of the nine lyric poets, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich...
, with several other pieces translated (1749) - Education: a poem in two cantos (1751)
- "The oration of Plato" (translation of the funeral oration in PlatoPlatoPlato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's MenexenusMenexenusThe Menexenus is a Socratic dialogue of Plato, traditionally included in the seventh tetralogy along with the Greater and Lesser Hippias and the Ion. The characters are Socrates and Menexenus, who is not to be confused with Socrates' son Menexenus. The Menexenus of Plato's dialogue appears also...
). In Two orations in Praise of Athenians Slain in Battle (1759).
Note: Some publication dates are posthumous.